ROUND 6 FIDE CANDIDATES TOURNAMENT 2020

Grischuk – Caruana  DRAW

Alekseenko – Giri  BLACK WINS!

Nepomniachi – Ding  WHITE WINS!

Wang –  Vachier-Lagrave  DRAW

Game one is between Alexander Grischuk with White against Fabiano Caruana with Black.

This game features a Ruy Lopez. To learn more about the Ruy Lopez, here is the best instruction book I could find on Amazon.

Grischuk,Alexander (2777) - Caruana,Fabiano (2842)

FIDE Candidates 2020 Yekaterinburg (6.1), 23.03.2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 [5.Kf1] 5...b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.a4 Rb8 [Not 7...Nxe4? 8.axb5 Ne7 9.Nxe5+-] 

8.c3 d6 [Of course not 8...Nxe4 9.Qe2±] 

9.d4 Bb6 10.a5 C78: Ruy Lopez: Archangelsk and Möller Defences. 

10...Ba7 11.h3 0–0 12.Be3 Re8 13.Ng5N Rf8 14.Nf3 Re8 now supersedes 14...Ra8. 

15.Re1 [15.dxe5² Bxe3 16.exf6 (16.fxe3 Nxe5 17.Nbd2 Bb7µ) 16...Bh6 17.fxg7 Qf6 18.Nh2 Ne5 19.Qh5 Nc4 20.Bc2 Qxg7 21.Ng4 Bxg4 22.hxg4 b4 23.b3 Rb5 ½–½ (21) Libiszewski,F (2458)-Guadalpi,D (2281) Aix les Bains 2003] 

15...exd4 [But not 15...Nxe4?! 16.d5±] 

16.cxd4 Nxe4 17.d5 Bxe3 18.Rxe3 Na7! 19.Qd4 Bf5 20.Nbd2 Nc5 21.Rxe8+ Qxe8 22.Re1 Qf8 23.Bd1 b4 24.Be2 Qd8 25.Bf1 h6 26.Re3 b3 27.Qf4 Bd7 28.Nd4 Rb4 29.Rg3 Qe7 30.Bc4 [Not 30.Qxh6? Qe5–+ Double Attack] 

30...Nb5 31.N4xb3 Nxb3 32.Rxb3 Qe1+ 33.Kh2! Rxb3 34.Nxb3 Qb4 35.Qe4 c5 36.Qd3 [Wrong is 36.dxc6? Be6!–+] 

36...g6 37.g4 Kg7 38.Kg2 Nc7 [38...Bc8µ] 

39.Qc3+ Qxc3 40.bxc3 f5 41.Nd2 Kf6 42.Kg3 Bb5 43.Bb3 Be2 44.gxf5 gxf5 45.f4 Nb5 46.c4 Nc3 47.Bc2 Bd1 48.Bd3 Na2 49.Kf2 Nb4 50.Ke3 Bc2 51.Be2 Na2 52.Nf1 Nc1 53.Kd2 Nxe2= 54.Kxe2 Ba4 ½–½

Game two is between Kirill Alekseenko with White against Anish Giri with Black.

This game features a Giucco Piano. To learn more about the Giucco Piano, here is the best instruction book I could find on Amazon.

Alekseenko,Kirill (2698) - Giri,Anish (2763)

FIDE Candidates 2020 Yekaterinburg (6.2), 23.03.2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.0–0 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c3 0–0 7.Re1 outshines the older 7.Bb3. 

7...a5 C54: Giuoco Piano: 4 c3 Nf6, main lines with 5 d4 and 5 d3. 

8.Nbd2 Be6 9.Bb5 Ba7!? The position is equal. An interesting side line. 

10.Nf1 Ne7 11.Ng3 c6 12.Ba4 Ng6 13.h3 d5 14.exd5 Nxd5 15.Bc2 Qc7 16.d4 exd4! 17.Nxd4 Rae8 18.Bg5 Ndf4 19.Qd2 Bd5 20.Rxe8 [20.Bxg6 is more complex. 20...Nxg6 21.Ndf5 f6 22.Be3 Bxe3 23.Rxe3 Rxe3 24.Nxe3 Be6 25.Qc2] 

20...Rxe8 21.Re1 [21.Bxg6!= Nxg6 22.Ndf5] 

21...Re5N [21...Rxe1+µ 22.Qxe1 Qb8; 21...Rxe1+ 22.Qxe1 Ne6 23.Be3 Bxd4 24.cxd4 Nh4 25.Ne4 f5 26.f3 Qe7 27.Bf2 Nxf3+ 28.gxf3 fxe4 29.Bxe4 Bxe4 30.Qxe4 0–1 (51) Grandelius,N (2687)-Hovhannisyan,R (2630) Reykjavik 2019] 

22.Bxf4= Rxe1+ 23.Qxe1 Qxf4 24.Qe8+ Nf8 25.Bb3 Bxd4 26.cxd4 Bxb3 27.axb3 Qf6 [27...h6 with more complications. 28.Qe3 Ne6 29.Ne2 Qf5 30.Qd2 Qb5] 

28.Qe4 g6 29.Ne2 Ne6 30.h4 h5 31.g3 Qd8 32.Qe5 Qb6 33.d5 cxd5 34.Qxd5 Kf8 35.Nc3 Qc7 36.Ne4 Qc1+ 37.Kg2 Qxb2 38.Qd7 b6 39.Nd6 Qf6 40.Qe8+! Kg7 41.Qd7 Black must now prevent Ne8+. 

41...Kg8 42.Qe8+! Nf8 43.Qc6! Qd8 44.Nc4 [44.Nb7!= Qd3 45.Qxb6] 

44...Ne6 [44...Qd7!µ 45.Qxd7 Nxd7] 

45.Nxb6 Nd4 Double Attack 

46.Qc5 [46.Qb7= remains equal.] 

46...Nxb3µ 47.Qb5 Nd2 48.Qxa5 Qd3 (Qf1+) 

49.Qa1 Qe4+ 50.Kg1 Nf3+ 51.Kf1 

XABCDEFGHY
8-+-+-+k+(
7+-+-+p+-'
6-sN-+-+p+&
5+-+-+-+p%
4-+-+q+-zP$
3+-+-+nzP-#
2-+-+-zP-+"
1wQ-+-+K+-!
xabcdefghy

51...Nxh4! 52.Qa8+ [52.gxh4 Qh1+] 

52...Qxa8 53.Nxa8 Endgame KN-KN 

53...Nf3 54.Kg2 Ne5 [54...Nd4 feels hotter. 55.f4 f6 56.Nc7 Kf7 57.Nd5 Nf5] 

55.f4 Ng4 56.Nb6 Kf8 57.Nd5 Ke8 58.Nc3 Ke7 59.Ne4 Ne3+ 60.Kf3 Nc4 61.Ng5 Kf6 62.Ne4+ Kf5 63.Nf2 Nd2+ 64.Ke3 Nf1+ 65.Kf3 Nh2+ 66.Kg2 Ng4 And now ...Nxf2 would win. 

67.Nh3 f6 68.Kf3 Ke6 69.Ke4 Kd6 70.Ng1 Kc5 71.Kd3 Nh6 72.Ke3 Nf5+ 73.Kf3 Kc4 74.Nh3 Nd4+ 75.Ke3 Nf5+ 76.Kf3 Kd4 77.Nf2 Nd6 78.Nh3 [78.Nd1µ] 

78...Ne4 [78...Kd3–+ 79.Nf2+ Kd2] 

79.Ng1 Kd3 80.Kg2 Nd2 Threatens to win with ...Ke3. 

81.Kf2 Ke4 aiming for ...h4! 

82.Ne2 Nb1 83.Ng1 

XABCDEFGHY
8-+-+-+-+(
7+-+-+-+-'
6-+-+-zpp+&
5+-+-+-+p%
4-+-+kzP-+$
3+-+-+-zP-#
2-+-+-mK-+"
1+n+-+-sN-!
xabcdefghy

83...h4! 84.Nh3! [84.gxh4 Kxf4] 

84...Kf5 Hoping for ...Kg4. 

85.gxh4 Kg4 86.f5 gxf5 Black wants to play ...Nc3. [86...Kxf5!? 87.Kg3 Na3µ] 

87.Ke3 Nc3 88.Nf2+ Kg3 Strongly threatening ...f4+. [88...Kxh4!? 89.Kf4 Nd5+ 90.Kxf5 Kh5=] 

89.Nd3? [89.Nh1+= Kh2 90.h5 Nd5+ 91.Kf3 Kxh1 92.h6] 

89...Nd5+!–+ 90.Kd4 Nf4 91.Nc5 Kxh4 92.Ke3 

XABCDEFGHY
8-+-+-+-+(
7+-+-+-+-'
6-+-+-zp-+&
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4-+-+-sn-mk$
3+-+-mK-+-#
2-+-+-+-+"
1+-+-+-+-!
xabcdefghy

92...Kg3! Black mates. 

93.Nb3 Ne6 94.Nd2 f4+ 95.Ke2 Ng5 96.Kf1 f3 97.Kg1 f2+ 98.Kf1 

XABCDEFGHY
8-+-+-+-+(
7+-+-+-+-'
6-+-+-zp-+&
5+-+-+-sn-%
4-+-+-+-+$
3+-+-+-mk-#
2-+-sN-zp-+"
1+-+-+K+-!
xabcdefghy

98...f5!  0–1

Game three is between Ian Nepomniachi with White against Liren Ding with Black.

This game features a Ruy Lopez. To learn more about the Ruy Lopez, here is the best instruction book I could find on Amazon.

Nepomniachtchi,Ian (2774) - Ding,Liren (2805)

FIDE Candidates 2020 Yekaterinburg (6.3), 23.03.2020

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 6.d3 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.a3 outshines the older 8.a4. Played by Alireza Firouzja in February 2020. 

8...0–0 9.Nc3 Na5 C77: Ruy Lopez: 3...a6 4 Ba4 Nf6, unusual lines. 

10.Ba2 Be6 11.b4 Bxa2 12.Rxa2 Nc6 13.Bg5 Qd7 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Nd5 a5 16.Rb2N [16.c4 Ne7 17.Qb3 bxc4 18.Nxe7+ Bxe7 19.dxc4 axb4 20.axb4 Qc6 21.Re1 Rxa2 22.Qxa2 ½–½ (90) Vachier Lagrave,M (2780)-Ding,L (2801) London 2019] 

16...axb4 17.axb4 Bd8 18.c4 Nd4 19.Nxd4 exd4 20.Qc2 Re8 [20...c6!? 21.Nf4 Qb7=] 

21.g3 bxc4 22.Qxc4 c6 23.Nf4 Bg5 24.Ne2 d5 25.exd5 cxd5 26.Qb3 h5 27.b5 h4 

XABCDEFGHY
8r+-+r+k+(
7+-+q+pzp-'
6-+-+-+-+&
5+P+p+-vl-%
4-+-zp-+-zp$
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1+-+-+RmK-!
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28.b6 [And not 28.Nxd4 Bf6µ] 

28...h3 29.Kh1 [Reject 29.Nxd4 Bf6³] 

29...Reb8 30.Rfb1 [Don't go for 30.Nxd4? Bf6–+] 

30...Bd8 31.Qb5 [Not 31.Nxd4? Rxb6 32.Qxb6 Bxb6–+] 

31...Qg4? 

XABCDEFGHY
8rtr-vl-+k+(
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6-zP-+-+-+&
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1+R+-+-+K!
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[31...Qf5± 32.Nxd4 Qf6] 

32.Qxd5 [32.Qe8++- and the rest is easy. 32...Kh7 33.Qxf7] 

32...Ra5 33.Qc6 [33.f3± Rxd5 34.fxg4] 

33...Rc5? [33...Rxb6!= and Black is okay. 34.Rxb6 (34.Qe8+? Kh7–+) 34...Qxe2] 

34.Qe8+ Kh7 

XABCDEFGHY
8-tr-vlQ+-+(
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6-zP-+-+-+&
5+-tr-+-+-%
4-+-zp-+q+$
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35.Ng1! Rxb6 36.Qxd8 Rxb2 37.Rxb2 Rc1 38.Qh4+ Qxh4 39.gxh4 Rd1 40.f3+- 1–0

Game four is between Hao Wang with White against Maxime Vachler-Lagrave with Black.

This game features a Grunfeld Defence. To learn more about the Grunfeld Defence, here is the best instruction book I could find on Amazon.

Wang,Hao (2762) - Vachier Lagrave,Maxime (2767)

FIDE Candidates 2020 Yekaterinburg (6.4), 23.03.2020

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 c5 8.Ne2 0–0 9.0–0 Nc6 10.Be3 b6 The modern move. 11.h4 D87: Exchange Grünfeld: Classical Line: Variations without ...cxd4. 

11...e6 12.h5 Qh4 13.hxg6 hxg6 14.f3 Bb7 15.Qd2 cxd4 16.cxd4 Rfd8 17.Rac1 Qe7N [17...Be5 18.f4 Bg7 19.Rf3 Rac8 20.Rh3 Qg4 21.Qe1 Nxd4 22.Nxd4 Bxd4 23.Bxd4 Rxd4 ½–½ (44) Dubov,D (2676)-Svidler,P (2719) Hamburg 2019] 

18.Rfd1 Rac8 19.Bg5 Bf6 20.Bxf6 Qxf6 21.Qe3 Kg7 22.Kf2 Rh8 23.Rh1 Rxh1 24.Rxh1 Rh8 25.Rxh8 Kxh8 26.Qc3 Kg8 27.d5 Qxc3 28.Nxc3 Na5 29.Bd3 exd5 30.exd5 Kf8 31.Ke3 Ke7 32.Kd4 Bc8 33.Nb5 a6 34.Nc7 Kd6 35.Nxa6 Nb7 36.g4 [Better is 36.Nb4+- ] 

36...g5 37.Nb4 Bd7 38.Nc2 Ke7 39.Ne3 Nd6 40.Nd1 Ba4 41.Nf2 f6 42.Be2 Be8 43.Nd1 Ba4 44.Nb2 Be8 45.Bd1 [45.Bd3±] 

45...Nb5+ 46.Kc4 Nc7! 47.Bb3 Kd6 48.Kd4 Nb5+ 49.Kd3 Nc7 50.Nc4+ Kc5 51.Nd2 Bb5+ 52.Ke4 Bd7! 53.Nf1 Nb5 54.Ng3 Nd6+ 55.Ke3 f5 56.gxf5 Bxf5 57.Nxf5 Nxf5+ 58.Ke4 Nh4 59.Ba4 Kd6 60.Be8 Ng2 61.Bf7 Ne1 62.a4 Nc2 63.Be8 Ne1 64.Bb5 Ng2 65.Bc4 Nh4 66.Bf1 Kc5 67.Bh3 Kd6 68.Be6 Ng6 69.Bf7 Nh4 70.Be8 Ng2 71.Bb5 Nh4 72.Bd3 Kc5 73.Bf1 Kd6 74.Bh3 Ng6 75.Be6 Nh4 [Better is 75...Ne5² ] 

76.Bf7 Ke7 77.Bh5 Kd6 78.Bg4! Ng2! 79.Kf5 Kxd5 80.Kxg5 Ke5 81.Kg6 [81.Bd7±] 

81...Nf4+ 82.Kf7 Nd3 83.Ke7= ½–½